Laundry treating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11891743-B2
Application number	US-202217833561-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2022
Priority date	Jul 6, 2018
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus having a tub configured to store water, a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub and configured to store laundry therein, and a connector connecting the drum to a rotary shaft of a motor for transferring a rotation power to the drum. The connector includes a body hub fixed to the drum and coupled to the rotary shaft, and a body arm fixed to the drum and extending from the body hub in a direction away from the body hub. The body arm includes paths allowing water to pass therethrough, the paths extend in a curved manner or a bent manner inside the body arm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a tub configured to store water;
a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub and configured to store laundry therein; and
a connector connecting the drum to a rotary shaft of a motor for transferring a rotation power to the drum,
wherein the connector comprises:
a body hub fixed to the drum and coupled to the rotary shaft, and
a body arm fixed to the drum and extending from the body hub in a direction away from the body hub,

wherein the body arm extends along a radial direction of the drum and includes paths allowing water to pass therethrough, and
wherein the paths are spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the body arm and extend along a rotating direction of the drum in a curved manner or a bent manner inside the body arm.

2. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a length of one of the paths defined in the longitudinal direction of the body arm is different from a length of another one of the paths.

3. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein lengths of the paths are decreased as being closer to the body hub.

4. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the paths penetrate the body arm to allow water to pass through the body arm.

5. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drum comprises:
a first surface comprising a drum inlet configured to allow laundry to be loaded or taken out therethrough,
a second surface facing the first surface, and
a circumferential surface connecting the first surface to the second surface, and
wherein the body hub is fixed to the second surface of the drum, and the body arm extends toward the rim of the second surface.

6. A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a tub configured to store water;
a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub and configured to store laundry therein; and
a connector connecting the drum to a rotary shaft of a motor for transferring a rotation power to the drum,
wherein the connector comprises:
a body hub fixed to the drum and coupled to the rotary shaft, and
a body arm fixed to the drum and extending from the body hub in a direction away from the body hub,

wherein the body arm comprises:
a first body arm fixed to the drum, and
a second body arm spaced apart from the first body arm and extending in a longitudinal direction of the first body arm,

wherein the body arm includes paths allowing water to pass therethrough, the paths extend in a curved manner or a bent manner inside the body arm, and
wherein the paths are located between the first body arm and the second body arm.

7. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the body arm further comprises connecting portions connecting the first body arm and the second body arm and spaced apart from each other to form the paths therebetween.

8. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the body arm extends along a radial direction of the drum, and
wherein the connecting portions are spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the body arm and extend along a rotating direction of the drum.

9. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 8 , wherein a distance between one pair of the connection portions is different from a distance between another pair of connecting portions.

10. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 8 , wherein distances between the connection portions are decreased as being closer to the body hub.

11. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the connecting portions extend in the curved manner or the bent manner.

12. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each of the connecting portions includes a first connecting body and a second connecting body arranged in a width direction of the body arm to form a curved shape or a bent shape of each of the connecting portions.

13. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 12 , wherein one end of the first connecting body and one end of the second connecting body facing the one end of the first connecting body are spaced apart from each other.

14. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 12 , wherein each of the connecting portions further includes a connecting point at which one end of the first connecting body and one end of the second connecting body facing the one end of the first connecting body are connected.

15. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 14 , wherein connecting points of the connecting portions point in the same direction.

16. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the connecting points of the connecting portions point in a longitudinal direction of the body arm.

17. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the connecting portions include a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion located adjacent to the first connecting portion, and
wherein a connecting point of the first connecting portion points toward the second connecting portion and is located outside a space defined by connecting free ends of the second connecting portion.

18. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the connecting portions further include a third connecting portion and a fourth connecting portion located adjacent to the third connecting portion, and
wherein a connecting point of the third connecting portion points toward the fourth connecting portion and is located inside a space defined by connecting free ends of the fourth connecting portion.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kwon Yongdeok

Classifications

• D06F37/264 Primary

  Tubs provided with reinforcing structures, e.g. ribs, inserts, braces · CPC title

• D06F37/04 Primary

  adapted for rotation or oscillation about a horizontal or inclined axis · CPC title

• D06F21/04

  within an enclosing receptacle · CPC title

• D06F25/00

  Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air  (control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00) · CPC title

• D06F37/22

  in machines with a receptacle rotating or oscillating about a horizontal axis · CPC title